A police helicopter and patrol cars joined the desperate hunt alongside dozens of anxious relatives, friends and neighbours of the Romanian family.

But it was the driver of a No.65 bus who finally found the pair safe and well on board his vehicle at around 8.10pm.

The pair had been riding on buses around the city, blissfully unaware of the panic they had caused their parents Ion and Salinca, who had only lived in Birmingham for three months.

Speaking outside their home in Wright Road, where dozens of worried residents had gathered to help with the search, Supt Alison Telford said: "The children were found by the bus driver in Chester Road.

"He contacted the police and we went to collect them.

"Our officers had alerted Centro and other travel companies about their disappearance.

"Thanks to a great response to our appeal for help we had a lot of sightings from 11.30am but were not quite able to locate them.

"There was massive support from the public and the local community and I can't thank them enough.